Motor vehicle theft

SIGNIFICANCE: The numbers of automobile thefts began increasing greatly during the last decades of the twentieth century, as both the numbers and values of vehicles on American roads were rapidly rising. In response, both police and vehicle owners have adopted new tactics to prevent theft and to track down stolen vehicles.

The proclivity of Americans to travel has placed great importance on the forms of transportation they choose. Before the mass production of automobiles during the early twentieth century, most Americans who traveled on their own used horses and wagons. Horse theft was considered such a serious crime that during the nineteenth century, it was treated as a capital offense in some parts of the West. During the following century, as Americans switched from horses to automobiles, the criminals who earlier would have stolen horses became car thieves, and laws were updated to make motor vehicle theft a serious crime. However, there was a considerable difference between horse and car theft. The mass production of cars made more of them available for purchase, and the rise of the automobile insurance industry allowed vehicle owners to protect themselves financially from thefts of their automobiles.

States and local jurisdictions had been primarily responsible for capturing and punishing horse thieves. Car theft took on a new federal dimension starting in 1919 when Congress passed the Dyer Act, which made it a federal crime to move a stolen car across state lines. The law was designed to reduce car thefts by increasing the penalties for selling stolen cars for profit, but it proved unable to handle the increasing number of car thefts.

Motives Behind Car Theft

Automobile thieves steal cars for a variety of reasons, including for fun, for personal use, and for profit. Many thefts are committed by adolescents who want the thrill of taking “joyrides” in expensive and high-profile cars. Such thefts are generally short lived, with the thieves abandoning the stolen vehicles after their joyrides. In most joyride-theft cases, the stolen vehicles are recovered by police after suffering minimal damage. However, on occasion, joyriding leads to serious accidents, especially when the car thieves are inexperienced drivers who lack the skill to handle cars safely in high-speed or off-road conditions. Because joyriding is usually done by juveniles, its prosecution is weaker than other types of car theft. However, as joyriding reached epidemic proportions in some states in the 1990s, new laws were passed that mandated jail time for juvenile offenders.

Others who steal cars do so to fill their transportation demands. Such thieves typically steal a vehicle, use it to drive a certain distance or until the vehicle runs out of fuel, and then steal another vehicle to continue their journey. Stolen cars are also used as getaway vehicles for other crimes, notably bank robbery, kidnapping, rape, and murder, because they are less able to be traced and can be easily discarded without leaving incriminating evidence. Cars stolen for getaway purposes are usually taken immediately before or during the commission of the other crime. Getaway cars often suffer damage, particularly when they become involved in high-speed chases.

The intrinsic value of cars makes them tempting targets for thieves seeking quick profits. Moreover, many cars contain expensive accessories, such as audio equipment, GPS systems, and even televisions, that can be removed from stolen cars and sold for quick cash on the street. Thefts of that nature are usually known as “smash-and-grab” operations because the thieves typically break the vehicle's windows, remove the accessories, and flee without taking the vehicle.

The used-auto-part business is a multibillion-dollar industry, and many cars are stolen simply for their parts. Some stolen cars pass through “chop shops,” where they are dismembered for parts such as fenders, wheels, engines, seats, and brakes, among others. These chop shops generally pay the thieves who supply the stolen cars fixed prices for specific types of vehicles and then sell the parts themselves.

Although the profits obtained from selling stolen cars intact may be less than those obtained from selling dismembered parts, many stolen cars are nevertheless sold whole. Selling stolen automobiles is also riskier because whole cars are easier for law enforcement to trace than individual parts. Because of the various checks placed on sales of used automobiles in the United States, it can be difficult and risky to sell stolen cars within the country, so many stolen cars—especially expensive models—are taken to other countries, which generally require less documentation of ownership than US jurisdictions. Transporting stolen cars to foreign countries can be costly and time consuming, so most overseas sales of stolen automobiles are perpetrated by organized crime groups.

Most owners of stolen cars are true victims of theft, but growing numbers of owners arrange for the theft of their own cars in order to collect insurance settlements. Some owners dispose of their cars on their own by burning them or abandoning them in isolated spots. Alternatively, they may sell their cars to chop shops for small sums and then report the vehicles stolen in order to collect full insurance settlements.

Carjacking

Most car thefts are nonviolent crimes, but as antitheft technologies became increasingly effective, growing numbers of car thieves began to turn to carjacking. Carjackings seemed to reach epidemic proportions during the late 1980s and early 1990s, which saw the first introduction of advanced antitheft technology. Nevertheless, the number of carjackings during that time remained low when compared to the number of total automobile thefts.

Although carjacking spares thieves the problem of defeating antitheft security devices, it often involves them in violent crimes because it involves stealing vehicles while their drivers are still in or near them. Most carjacking is done on streets and in parking lots of urban and suburban areas. Carjackers watch for motorists who are in vulnerable situations, such as idling their cars while waiting for traffic lights to change, then take advantage of open windows or unlocked doors to assault the drivers and take their cars. Drivers are most often forced out of their cars before the thieves drive off, but it is not unusual for drivers to be pushed out of moving vehicles and suffer serious injuries.

Some carjackings are well planned and involve accomplices. For example, a tactic called “bumping” uses accomplices who are driving separate vehicles. The accomplices bump target vehicles from behind, creating what appear to be minor rear-end collision accidents. When the drivers of the target vehicles get out to check the damage, the thieves jump into their cars—after snatching keys from the drivers if necessary—and then both vehicles take off, leaving their dumbfounded victims alone in the street.

Some carjackings are impulse crimes tied to other crimes. For example, fugitives fleeing police on foot occasionally carjack vehicles to complete their getaways. Although this type of carjacking is rare, such crimes are widely reported by the media when they do occur. Carjackings make for dramatic television news stories, particularly when the carjacked vehicles are caught by television cameras in traffic helicopters flying overhead.

Passenger automobiles are the most frequently stolen vehicles, but some thieves target other kinds of vehicles. Motorcycles are favorites of some thieves because of the ease with which they can be carried away. Locking a motorcycle securely is difficult, and hot-wiring one to start it does not require breaking into doors or windows. Large semitrailer freight trucks are usually hijacked for their cargoes. Such vehicles require special driving skills, so only thieves who know how to handle them are likely to be successful at stealing them.

Vehicles with the lowest theft rates include motor homes, trailers, and airplanes. Only thieves with special knowledge of or special needs for such vehicles are likely to steal them.

Prevalence

Improving antitheft technologies are reducing the numbers of vehicle thefts. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, in 2023, the Hundai Elantra, the Hundai Sonata, and the Kia Optima had the highest theft rates. Experts believe that social media trends explaining how to steal these vehicles played a role in the increase of thefts. Cars produced by foreign manufacturers tend to be stolen more frequently than domestic cars, probably because there are more of them than American cars on the roads. The more time cars spend on the road, the more likely they are to be stolen. Car thieves also tend to focus on cars of later model years. However, while new cars are frequently stolen, older cars are also attractive to thieves because their parts are needed more than those of newer models.

In 2023, the total number of vehicles stolen in the United States was more than one million, a 25 percent increase from the previous few years. However, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, more than 85 percent of stolen passenger vehicles were recovered by law enforcement. Of these, 34 percent were recovered within one day of being reported stolen.

During the 1990s, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began collecting statistics on incidents of carjacking. These statistics showed that carjackings tend to be more violent than other types of car theft, more than 90 percent of carjackings involving the use of guns, knives, and other weapons against vehicle owners. Carjackers using weapons succeeded in only one-half of their attempts, but in one-fourth of the crimes, victims were seriously injured.

Prevention

With the large numbers of privately owned automobiles on American roads, combating car theft requires vehicle owners and police to work together. Owners must take steps to prevent their vehicles from being stolen, while the police focus on finding stolen cars and apprehending those who steal them or buy them.

Federal law enforcement relies on two central tools to arrest and prosecute car thieves. In 1984, Congress responded to the growing problem of car theft by passing the Motor Vehicle Theft Law Enforcement Act, which required automobile manufacturers to place vehicle identification numbers (VINs) inside cars, on places such as the engines, bumpers, and seats, and made it a crime to remove or change them. VINs enhance the likelihood of finding stolen car parts and connecting them to specific vehicles. Other identifying numbers are voluntarily placed on car parts by manufacturers. The 1984 act also took particular aim at car-theft rings, many of which were connected with organized crime, by extending the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) of 1970 to include car theft. RICO provides for extensive jail terms for violations of the law.

In 1992, Congress added the terms of the Anti-Car Theft Act to the 1984 law. The act extended the VIN number requirement to include vans and SUVs. It was also the first federal law to take aim at chop shops by making operating such shops a federal crime, with severe penalties for anyone who owned one.

While VINs assist police in finding parts of stolen cars, car owners themselves have a variety of options for reducing the chances of having their cars stolen. The simplest tactic is to remove keys from vehicles and lock doors. A surprising number of car thefts are of vehicles that are left running by owners who get out of them to run quick errands. Parked cars are also targets. Parking one's car in busy areas and under lights can reduce the chances of theft. Thieves are less likely to try stealing cars when they might be seen breaking in.

Many cars have alarm systems installed in them by their manufacturers. Car alarms are designed to emit loud warning signals when thieves attempt to break into cars; the signals serve to attract attention to thieves and to scare the thieves away. Less technologically advanced are antitheft devices attached to steering wheels that are designed to inhibit the steering of stolen vehicles. None of these devices is foolproof. Car alarms, for example, are often triggered by wind or harmless contacts made by passersby, and the blaring sounds of car alarms have become so common in many urban areas that they are often ignored, except when their owners are fined for disturbing the peace. Antitheft devices attached to steering wheels are strong and secure; however, the steering wheels themselves are not. The devices can be easily defeated by simply breaking or cutting the steering wheels. An alternative to the steering-wheel lock is a brake-pedal lock, which prevents the brake from being pressed to the floor, as is necessary to shift a car out of park. This lock is harder to defeat because it is more difficult to cut or remove a brake pedal than a steering wheel.

A 1994 federal law provided another tool for law enforcement and car owners. The law gave grants to local police to run programs in which car owners sign agreements allowing police to pull over their cars during early morning hours, times when they are normally unlikely to be driving their cars. Car owners place stickers on their cars that can easily be seen. When police see vehicles with the stickers late at night, they automatically become suspicious and can stop and check the vehicles. Because many car thefts occur late at night or early in the morning, the program allows police to target cars at a time they are more likely being used by a thief.

Investigation and Prosecution

Local, state, and federal law enforcement are all involved in the investigation and prosecution of car thieves. State laws against property theft and unauthorized used of motor vehicles are the main tools used to prosecute car thieves. Local police handle most calls about car theft. In joyriding cases, police often find the stolen cars while they are still being driven by the thieves. In cases in which cars are stolen by professional thieves for resale or consignment to chop shops, local police are unlikely to be able to recover them. Their main responsibility, then, is to file reports used in insurance claims.

Police investigating stolen vehicle reports generally begin their searches for stolen cars on the streets. Cars stolen for joyrides are much more likely to be found than vehicles stolen for their parts. While watching for stolen vehicles on the road, police pay special attention to cars being driven too fast or too slow and cars that stop suddenly—all signs that the drivers are unfamiliar with the vehicles. Altered license plates are another sign, as thieves sometimes change plates to prevent the cars from being traced. Marks on vehicle bodies left by physical break-ins, including jimmied door and trunk locks, also attract law-enforcement attention.

Many stolen cars are left abandoned on streets, and such vehicles are frequently stripped of all their valuable removable parts, including their tires, batteries, doors, seats, and other internal parts. Abandoned cars are also recognizable because they generally remain parked in the same places for extended periods. Parked cars containing the kinds of items used in thefts may also signal that they have been stolen. Such evidence might include coat hangers used to unlock doors from outside, lockpicks, and hot-wiring devices.

Abandoned cars also often provide evidence that can be used to track thieves. Tools used to steal cars can sometimes be matched to the marks they leave in the stolen vehicles. For example, forensic experts may be able to match a screwdriver belonging to a suspect with marks left on a picked ignition switch. In addition, many thieves leave fingerprints, shoe prints, and hair samples that can be collected and used for identification in subsequent prosecutions.

Some police, particularly in urban areas, actively search for chop shops. However, because many car-theft rings operate in different localities and states, state and federal law enforcement are usually involved in investigating such operations. At the federal level, the FBI is the main investigator of car-theft rings. Under the 1992 Anti-Car Theft Act, federal penalties for car theft were strengthened, and the US Customs Service was given the task of actively seeking out stolen cars being shipped from the United States for resale overseas. The federal government itself can become involved only when stolen cars or their parts are shipped or driven across state or national borders.

Catching car thieves in the act is difficult. Professional thieves can break into cars within seconds, and with the huge numbers of cars on the road and in parking areas, law enforcement does not have the personnel to protect them. For this reason, many police departments focus on car-theft rings that target specific models and specific neighborhoods. Police occasionally conduct sting operations in which they plant cars in neighborhoods with frequent robberies. The cars are equipped with tracking devices that the police can follow when thieves steal them. The devices often lead police directly to the headquarters of car-theft operations, which they then shut down. Some departments mount sting operations with specially designed cars that contain hidden television cameras and automatic shutdown systems that can be used to stop the vehicles with the thieves inside, allowing for easy capture.

Bibliography

Brown, A. L. Vehicle Security Systems: Build Your Own Alarm and Protection Systems. Boston: Newnes, 1996. Print.

Cole, Lee S. Claims, Costs and Crimes: A Study of Insurance Frauds from Invention to Prevention. Novato: Lee, 1984. Print.

Cole, Lee S., and Gerald D. Boyer. The Investigation of Vehicle Thefts. Novato: Lee, 1989. Print.

"Historical Look at Vehicle Theft in the US." National Insurance Crime Bureau. NICB, 8 Dec. 2014. Web. 27 May 2016.

"Imports Top List for America's Most Stolen Vehicles." National Insurance Crime Bureau, 9 May 2024, www.nicb.org/news/news-releases/new-report-imports-top-list-americas-most-stolen-vehicles. Accessed 8 July 2024.

Klaus, Patsy A. Carjacking, 1993–2002. Washington: Office of Justice Programs, Dept. of Justice, 2004. Carjackings in the United States Ser. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Web. 27 May 2016.

Maxfield, Michael G., and Ronald V. Clarke, eds. Understanding and Preventing Car Theft. Monsey: Criminal Justice, 2004. Print.

"Motor Vehicle Theft." Crime in the United States 2014. FBI.gov, 19 Sept. 2015. Web. 27 May 2016.

Rapp, Burt. Vehicle Theft Investigation: A Complete Handbook. Port Townsend: Loompanics, 1989. Print.